Enzo Maresca insisted he is well aware Erling Haaland will have to sit out some matches in order to be at his very best for Manchester City this season. 

Haaland is one of four outfield players within City's ranks to play every minute of their Premier League campaign, scoring three times in three games so far. 

The 26-year-old scored the winner in the Citizens' 1-0 win over Coventry City last weekend, with that his 300th goal in all competitions across his top-flight career.

But Maresca's side are now beginning to prepare for a busy few weeks, with their Champions League campaign beginning at the Estadio Do Dragao against Porto on Tuesday.

City then face rivals Manchester United in the Premier League, with Norwich City in the EFL Cup and a league clash against Sunderland all coming in the space of 12 days. 

Haaland has netted 34 Champions League goals in 39 appearances for City, only two shy of the club record set by Sergio Aguero (36).

Since 2022-23, only Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe (37) has more than Haaland's 34 goals in the competition, though Maresca hinted that depending on how City's European campaign goes, he may not feature for all of it. 

"At the moment, he's played every minute apart from the Community Shield," said Maresca.

"We need to protect Erling because the season is very long, and he's going to have games where he needs to recover.

"Depends on the game and game plan. Antoine can play nine. Phil has played fake nine. It depends on the game."

Maresca will be just the fourth different manager to take charge of City in the Champions League, following Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola.

None of the previous three lost their first game (W2 D1), with the last two both winning by at least three goals (3-0 for Pellegrini, 4-0 for Guardiola).

City have also won their opening game of a Champions League campaign in six of the last seven seasons (D1), last losing their opener in 2018-19 against Lyon (1-2).

Porto and City have faced each other on four occasions in Europe, with the Portuguese winless across each of them (D1 L3). Their only previous Champions League meeting at the Estadio Do Dragao ended 0-0, however, in the 2020-21 edition.

It's been a summer of change at the Etihad Stadium for City, with a few key members of their Champions League-winning squad from 2022-23 now no longer at the club. 

John Stones, Manuel Akanji, Rodri, Nathan Ake and Bernardo Silva have all departed, though City have been able to bring in plenty of new faces to replace them. 

Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and Enzo Fernandez were in the side that beat Coventry at the weekend, while 18-year-old Ryan McAidoo was introduced off the bench. 

"The first game is on Tuesday. The focus will be on that, and then we will focus on the next one," Maresca said. 

"We saw with Ayyoub [Bouaddi], [Ryan] McAidoo, Iliman Ndiaye. They haven't played in the Champions League but they need to start. 

"So, on Tuesday they are going to start to get minutes in the Champions League."